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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26894503">Gone, Gone, Gone</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SourCannelloni/pseuds/SourCannelloni'>SourCannelloni</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Ball</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Bonding, Emotional Constipation, Falling In Love, Falling Out of Love, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Injury Recovery, M/M, Memory Loss, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow To Update, Strangers to Lovers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:40:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,927</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26894503</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SourCannelloni/pseuds/SourCannelloni</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tien is having a horrible time.<br/>He wakes up in the hospital, lost and confused. He's told he missed a date with his boyfriend. The problem is that... he can't remember a thing. </p><p>Can their relationship thrive? Or will Tien find a new love?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tenshinhan (Dragon Ball) &amp; Original Character(s), Tenshinhan/Yamcha (Dragon Ball)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Gone, Gone, Gone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Things hadn’t been going well for Tien lately. This was obvious considering the fact that he was lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by strange machines he had only seen on TV. His head pounded terribly, and the rest of his body ached. It felt like his bones were protesting the weight of his muscles. To say the least, it was a rather strange sensation. Still, he couldn’t remember what landed him here.</p><p>His mind had been covered in a thick haze ever since he woke up. He hated it. He hated not knowing how he got here or who took him to the hospital. Was he alone? Had he been with friends? If so, were they hurt as well? He hoped he was the only one hurt.</p><p>His thoughts were interrupted when the door to his room was carefully pushed open by a nurse. The nurse who stepped inside wasn’t the typical lady. In fact, it wasn’t a lady at all! Instead a young man dressed in faint blue scrubs greeted Tien with a warm smile and a wave. Tien didn’t extend the level of courtesy, but he nodded softly. His gaze was suspicious as he tried to guess what the nurse would do or say to him.</p><p>“Mister Shinhan?” The nurse glanced down at his papers, seemingly to make sure he had the right name. “Do you know where you are right now?” His tone was warm yet direct. This man was most likely a professional.</p><p>“The hospital- Judging from this equipment at least.” Tien’s voice was raspy. His throat felt dry as chalk. He was almost convinced that if he coughed a cloud of dust would puff out from his throat.  </p><p>The nurse smiled, nodding. “Good. How are you feeling Mister Shinhan? What’s the last thing you remember?”  </p><p>Tien sighed deeply. He wasn’t quite sure what he should say. How did he feel? That’s a rather vague question. And he didn’t even know how he should answer the second question. </p><p>“I... Some pains, yeah. But I can’t say much regarding what I remember. I don’t know what happened to me.” </p><p>The nurse looked troubled for a moment but approached Tien with a smile barely a second later. “That’s alright. I’m sure everything will come back to you soon.” He sighed softly before continuing. “You were in a traffic accident. You hit your head pretty hard. Otherwise you came out mostly unharmed, no major injuries, neither external nor internal.” </p><p>“Ah... That’s a relief... Was anyone else hurt?”  </p><p>The nurse shook his head again “No, nothing besides some bruises and small scratches.” </p><p>Tien sighed in relief. He didn’t know why he felt so relieved at this, it felt strange. It’s not like he could remember those involved.<br/>
“Do you know if there’s anyone you could call? A family member, or friend?” </p><p>This made a wave of stress hit Tien. Who could he call? He couldn’t remember... Did he even have anyone? What would he do?  </p><p>The nurse was quick to notice the panicked air around Tien, so he placed his hand on Tien’s shoulder, squeezing softly. “Hey, take it easy. We have your phone; we can look over your contacts together, alright?” His expression radiated warmth and care, and Tien felt at ease once more. </p><p>“Okay... Let’s do that.”  </p><p>Merely a heartbeat passed before Tien had his phone in his hand. It was lucky that it unlocked via fingerprint, otherwise he probably wouldn’t have gotten access to it.<br/>
He looked through the list of contacts and saw some vaguely recognizable names. Goku, Roshi, Ayodele, Chiaotzu... He also saw someone simply named “Uncle” in his contacts; Uncle seemed the best to call. Right? Even though it felt childish, this was the best way to go, they should know him best.<br/>
He called this “Uncle” and waited anxiously for him to pick up.<br/>
Two tones, then the distinct sound of the call being declined.</p><p>He then turned to the nurse, trying to hide how disheartened he felt. “I’m sorry, I never asked for your name.” </p><p>“Yamcha Castellano, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”  </p><p>Tien nodded politely and took Yamcha’s hand, shaking it sternly. “Do you know how long I’ll be here?”  </p><p>“I’m sure you’ll be free to go soon enough since you have no major injuries, but...” Yamcha trailed off. He knew that Tien was already well aware of the situation regarding his memory. “I must go check up on my other patients, if you need anything there’s a button here you can press, alright?” </p><p>Tien merely nodded and thanked Yamcha. He seemed like a sweet person. Caring and warm. He fit right into the role of a nurse.  </p><p> </p><p>When finally left to his own devices, Tien started thinking. He tried to remember anything or anyone from his life before the accident. It was all very hazy and tiring to think about, but he vaguely remembered someone with dark copper skin, and with a tall and skinny body. Perhaps a friend? The person was certainly not related considering the difference in appearance. Only way they could be related was if they were adopted but that seemed unlikely as well.<br/>
That’s when another memory struck him. One of a short boy with large round eyes. Someone who Tien felt like he was often around. Someone he truly cared about.</p><p>After some time, the boy from his memories stepped through the door. He seemed so small and scared as he looked up at Tien.<br/>
It was obvious that they were related, even Tien in his current state cold figure that out. He felt a sense of familiarity creep up on him and this boy’s presence made him feel at ease. He was happy to see someone he felt like he knew.</p><p>“Tien! What happened?” The boy asked softly, concern settling on his face. “I thought you were going on a date with your boyfriend…”</p><p>“My boyfriend?”</p><p>Tien’s world spun around him, so many things were flooding back into his mind. So many previously fuzzy images were now crystal clear and the sheer amount of them made Tien feel drowned. The vortex of emotions struck every chord in him, and he felt exhausted beyond reason.  </p><p>His body slumped against the soft pillows in his bed and sighed deeply. His entire body felt a thousand pounds heavier. He couldn’t even find the strength to lift a finger. </p><p>“Could you... Could you please call my boyfriend? Tell him about what happened.”<br/>
The boy nodded, immediately grabbing his phone to call the said person. As he did that Tien mumbled to himself. “I can’t even remember what he looks like- or his name...”</p><p>After the boy finished the call he walked up to Tien, grabbing Tien’s hand and squeezing it softly. “It’s okay. You’ll remember!”</p><p>While they waited for Tien’s boyfriend to arrive, Tien spent his time by trying to catch up with the boy and remember his past. He was relieved to find that his older memories seemed to come back rather quick. He could remember the boy’s name, Chiaotzu, who was also his brother. Tien could also remember where he grew up, and how old he was. He could also remember his boyfriend’s first name, Ayodele.  </p><p> </p><p>When he finally heard a knock at the door he perked up, immediately curious about who would be standing behind it.  </p><p>The door slid open. </p><p>A tall, thin and intelligent-looking man stepped inside. His features were sharp and somewhat angular. His nose being the most striking feature. The best way Tien could describe it was hawk-like, in the most handsome way possible.<br/>
The man’s dark skin was contrasted by a thick white streak in his dark hair that seemed to be styled perfectly messy. It was neat but still had a messy edge to it, as if the whole hairstyle was done effortlessly. Even though Ayodele was thin, he had broad shoulders which made him look elegant. All in all, he was an incredibly handsome man, yet Tien didn’t feel a very strong spark between them just yet.</p><p>The man greeted Tien’s brother quietly, giving him space to exit the room. After he left, Ayodele turned to Tien. </p><p>“Well... this will be an interesting date.” Ayodele’s voice was smooth and low. Definitely easy on the ears. Tien could catch a vague accent that drove a part of him wild. “I’m Ayodele, the boyfriend, in case you don’t remember me. I hope you're not disappointed.” His tone was laced with humor and Tien could swear he saw a small sly smile on Ayodele’s face.  </p><p>Tien could see that his boyfriend’s outwardly demeanor was calm, cool and collected, much like the surface of the sea on a calm sunny day. But much like the oceans, under that calm exterior lied turmoil and chaos. Such dramatic words probably didn’t suit Ayodele as well but something in Tien knew that Ayodele was worried. Perhaps even scared. </p><p>“Oh, I’m not disappointed... You look uh… pretty good.” Tien’s words seemed to catch Ayodele off guard, as surprise flashed over his face. “I’m sorry, I don’t... I don’t remember anything else besides your name.” </p><p>Ayodele nodded softly, and Tien felt... sad. He hated that he had lost so much time with someone he apparently loved. It felt as if someone had pushed Tien’s head deep under freezing cold water where he could only see darkness when he opened his eyes. This feeling filled his lungs, choking him.</p><p>“I see...”  </p><p>The tone in Ayodele’s voice made the dark ocean in Tien’s mind only go darker. He didn’t want to see or hear Ayodele like this. Even though Tien barely knew the man anymore, it still felt horrible to see him so down.</p><p>“But... I can feel that you’re important to me.” Ayodele had stepped close enough to Tien that he could grab the other’s hand, squeezing it softly. “I want to remember... and reconnect.”</p><p>Ayodele nodded softly. The sadness hung around the room like mist, but heavier. It was torturous.  </p><p>Tien couldn’t remember anything. It felt hollow and... cold. As if someone had thrown ice cold water over a campfire. He was holding onto someone he once knew, but had now lost everything with.</p><p>Tien sighed softly, guiding Ayodele’s hand to his lips, kissing it softly. He felt Ayodele hesitate, almost pulling away. This simple action made something in Tien crack, as if he was shot. He should’ve expected this. They were like strangers now.  </p><p>“It’ll take time.”<br/>
Ayodele’s answer was simple, but it gave Tien some hope. </p><p>There was a chance.<br/>
He could only offer a small smile as a response, and nod along.</p><p>“However long it takes-…”  </p><p>While Ayodele was visiting, they spent the rest of their time looking over the pictures on Tien’s phone. There were mostly pictures of his friends and family, along with food and pets.</p><p>When a picture of a man with a long white beard and bald head grin showed up Ayodele scowled. He pointed out that he wasn’t sure why Tien was friends with him, the man was a pig and a bastard.</p><p>Naturally Tien wasn't quite sure how to react to this but the following picture seemed to explain what kind of person this man was.<br/>
The man was standing by a statue of a naked woman, posing in a way that made it look like he was performing some unsavory deeds with the statue.<br/>
As they went over some pictures together, names started floating around in Tien’s head. He managed to connect the bald old man as Roshi, someone he had known for a long time.  </p><p>Ayodele helped him with the many other names. Goku, Tien’s best rival who was a street rat like Tien but rose to the top and became a living success story with a beautiful wife and a kid. </p><p>When Tien saw the pictures of him with Ayodele he became quiet. He couldn’t help but feel jealous of the version of himself that was in the picture. He was happy, holding the man he loved, being able to kiss him and sleep next to him. Sharing their warmth during cold winter nights. Tien wanted to have that.  </p><p>Hours passed and soon the visiting hours were over, and Ayodele was forced to leave. Once they had said their goodbyes Tien’s mood dropped. He truly enjoyed Ayodele’s company and he wanted to reconnect properly.</p><p>But he wasn’t completely alone.<br/>
The nurse from before, Yamcha, stepped inside with a bright smile, greeting Tien cheerily.</p><p>“Hello! It's dinner time, I hope you’re hungry.” </p><p>Tien hadn’t realized how hungry he actually was. It had been several hours since the last time he ate something, and it felt like his stomach was caving in on itself. Then again, he wasn't very eager to eat hospital food. Besides that, his whole situation had gotten much higher priority than food. He had so much to process in his head that it felt like eating would be a waste of time.</p><p>It wasn’t difficult to figure out that Yamcha had noticed the somewhat depressed mood. His demeanor had changed completely at the sight of Tien. Going from cheery and bright to more muted and perhaps even pitying.</p><p>“You know, there’s a chance that you’ll start remembering more and more soon. I’m sure of it. So, don’t beat yourself up over it.” Yamcha offered a small smile in an attempt to be comforting but it only annoyed Tien. He didn't want to be pitied.</p><p>“I know.” </p><p>Yamcha’s soft smile didn’t waver. He was most likely used to even fussier patients. Not that Tien was calling himself fussy.</p><p>“How did it go, though? Meeting your family?”</p><p>“It went well, I guess. Nothing groundbreaking, I think.” Tien sighed, sinking into his pillows as Yamcha placed the tray of food in front of him.</p><p>“Well, any progress is good progress, no?” </p><p>“I suppose you’re right.”  </p><p>While Yamcha was setting up the food tray Tien decided to get a good look at the cheery nurse. Tien was honestly surprised at what he saw. He had expected Yamcha’s build to be more muscular and a bit larger over all due to the way he carried himself, but he was thin. Thinner than the healthy point, at least according to Tien’s unprofessional view. He also noticed Yamcha wincing every now and then as he moved. Almost as if he was experiencing some pains.  </p><p>Tien knew better than to ask.<br/>
Yamcha seemed like a nice person, it’d be rude to ask. Even if he had annoyed Tien not too long ago.</p><p>“Enjoy your meal.” Yamcha smiled, but his hands lingered on the tray longer than necessary, almost as if he didn’t want to leave.</p><p>“A meal is better with company.”  </p><p>Tien surprised himself with what he said. This was all strange. He should’ve just not said anything. But the nurse immediately smiled brightly. “I can stay if you want.” </p><p>“Yeah, thanks.” it was too late to go back anyways, might as well just enjoy the company.</p><p>Yamcha sat down on a chair next to Tien’s bed. He was still smiling.</p><p>“So, I’m just guessing here but... Judging from your physique, you probably go to the gym a lot.”</p><p>Yamcha’s words didn’t surprise Tien. He suspected as much himself, and it felt like a familiar thing to hear.</p><p>“Yeah, I suppose so. Difficult to look like this without doing any work for it.”</p><p>“Mnh! Maybe you could go the gym sometime, it could spark your memory. since it’s a familiar place and all that.”</p><p>It sounded logical enough for Tien, so he tried to shove it into his memory. Not that it was hard considering the fact there wasn’t much else crammed in there. </p><p>As they talked Tien was slowly warming up to the nurse. They joked around a bit and got a few good laughs in. Yamcha was clearly the kind of person people could open up to rather easily. But Tien kept most of his guard up regardless, he didn’t know himself well enough to start talking to someone else about it. Nevertheless, it was comforting to some degree, to know that there were people he could talk to. Even if he wasn’t much of a talker himself.</p><p>A good while passed before Yamcha had to excuse himself, the poor guy hadn’t been keeping track of time and now he was late for some round or something.</p><p>Tien didn't quite catch whatever it was that Yamcha said when he excused himself. Except for that the doctor in charge would most definitely chew him out because of this hiccup in the schedule.  </p><p>It sounded logical. Hospitals are supposed to be efficient.<br/>
A small part of him felt bad for Yamcha, it was kind of his fault that the nurse was late. But maybe that could be forgiven and forgotten.</p><p>A similar routine went on for a few more days until he was discharged.  </p><p>When Tien was discharged, Yamcha was there to send him off. Unfortunately, neither his brother nor his boyfriend was there to pick him up. They were all busy with work or were literally too young to drive, and Tien didn’t want to bother them, especially Ayodele. He wasn’t entirely sure what he did for a living but a feeling in his gut told him that it was important, so he shouldn't disturb Ayodele.</p><p>Before Tien could wander off, he was stopped by Yamcha who took hold of his arm. </p><p>“Are you absolutely certain that you don't want us to call anyone? Even a cab?” Yamcha’s face radiated worry. Sheer, genuine worry. It was strange to see. Tien barely knew him but Yamcha still cared for him. Was he like this with every patient?<br/>
If so, he must’ve suffered a lot of heartbreak over the years.</p><p>“Yeah, thank you. I’d prefer re-exploring my surroundings by myself.”</p><p>Yamcha’s worry didn’t disappear, instead he almost seemed more worried now.<br/>
“Alright but... I’d prefer to know that you get home okay,” he dug around his pockets and grabbed his phone. “I’ll give you my number, that way you can notify me if you need any help. Or you can tell me when you get home!”  </p><p>Tien couldn’t argue. Well... he could, but he didn't want to waste the time and energy in doing so. Besides, Yamcha was trying to be nice. It’d be a major douche move to shut him down. It was just one text too, didn’t even require a lot of effort.<br/>
Yamcha, was kind of cute too. Tien knew that shouldn’t come into play, he was already with someone, after all. So, he noted it down as merely a thoughtless observation. There was no point in lingering on it for any longer.  </p><p>“Thank you... I’ll keep you updated.” </p><p>The nurse smiled brightly, finally letting go of his arm. “Thank you!” he beamed. “Please remember to be careful in traffic.”</p><p>“Mnh, I don’t want to get into another accident, trust me on that.”</p><p>Yamcha chuckled softly as a response and slapped Tien’s back.  </p><p>They said their goodbyes and Tien left. After walking a short distance, he glanced back towards the hospital. Yamcha was already gone.  </p><p>As Tien walked the streets, he started to feel more and more at home. His surroundings didn’t feel as distant and unfamiliar as he initially expected. Instead they were the opposite.  </p><p>He saw a fast-food restaurant that he could vaguely remember visiting with Ayodele. Probably several times. He felt he was the type who often went to these places. Honestly, he felt like going there now. He held himself back, he should get home before grabbing any food for himself. And since he was feeling lazy, he could just order food home.</p><p>After about an hour of wandering around Tien found a building that seemed especially familiar. His apartment building. This is where he lived. </p><p>It was a lot fancier than he anticipated. The building was pretty clean, seemed safe as well. He couldn’t hear much ruckus from the neighbors either, which was a plus. He didn’t want to know what they were up to, nor did he want them to know about his life. </p><p>“Oh wow...” Tien couldn’t help gasping as he stepped into his apartment. It was clean, modern, and radiated with familiarity. This was definitely his home.</p><p>There were posters of his favorite bands on the wall, an endless number of books on his shelves, all seemingly of the romance genre with some loner books on martial arts.<br/>
It was a striking difference but one that Tien didn’t mind. Getting to explore different worlds and live through people experiencing incredible romantic adventures seemed fantastic.  </p><p>It made him wonder which book was his favorite.</p><p> </p><p>His bedroom was easily the best part of the entire apartment. The bed was big and looked both warm and comfortable. Next to the bed was a nightstand and on top of it was a book. The book was only read halfway, but Tien guessed he’d have to start over now.</p><p>He threw himself onto the bed and groaned in delight. It was so much better than the hospital bed. It also smelled really nice. Comforting, in a way.</p><p>The smell brought images of him and Ayodele lying in bed, simply enjoying each other’s company in silence. Ayodele always smelled nice. He only wished that he could remember more moments with the man. They all seemed so incredibly important to him. He didn’t want them to be forever gone in the murky depths of his mind.</p><p>Yet, he didn’t have much time to think about these things much longer, as his stomach demanded food with loud groans and growls. He was feeling understandably lazy, so he looked up the closest place that could deliver food to him.</p><p>Tien ended up ordering pizza, one with mostly meat and another with pineapple, just because it felt right in the moment.  </p><p>The food arrived quickly and Tien made sure to tip the delivery guy nicely. Those poor fools... Tasked to deliver such tasty treasures to strangers, constantly being tempted by the heavenly smell of fresh pizza. It must be tough.  </p><p>Tien didn’t linger on that thought much longer, he wanted to eat. And eat he did.<br/>
He ended up devouring the meat pizza in its entirety, while the one with pineapples was only halfway gone when he started to feel full. At least he could save it and eat it later.</p><p>As Tien was putting away his leftovers he heard his phone buzz on the table. Instinctively he typed in “6969” as the password, unlocking his phone.<br/>
Classy.<br/>
He’s have to change it later. </p><p>When he checked his notifications, he saw that Ayodele had sent him a message. Just knowing that Ayodele was still thinking about him made a part of him feel warm and calm. </p><p>Ayodele: “Hey, are you home? Can I come over?” 13:42 </p><p>Tien sighed after reading the message. It wasn’t a displeased sigh, but it wasn’t one of relief either. Tien simply felt trapped. And the fact that he didn’t know what Ayodele actually wanted made him feel somewhat worried. What would he do if Ayodele wanted to break up? Would he be sad then? The thought worried Tien. He hated not knowing things, and now he was in a position where the truly knew close to nothing.<br/>
He decided to man up and reply. It was better to get it over with now rather than delaying it. If heartbreak was to come, it would be best to do it now, before he could realize what he had lost.  </p><p>Me: “Yeah, I have pizza in the fridge.” 13:45 </p><p>After typing his message Tien sighed deeply. How could it be so difficult to send one small message. Oh well... Now he would just have to wait and see what would happen. He had originally hoped to get a good nap in after eating, but it would have to wait for a while. Ayodele was more important than a nap, after all.  </p><p>It didn’t take long for Ayodele to arrive. Barely even fifteen minutes. It didn’t surprise Tien, but he was happy the agonizing wait was over.<br/>
The second he heard someone knock on the door he rushed to open it, coming face to face with Ayodele. </p><p>Woah.</p><p>Tien didn’t think Ayodele was almost as tall as him. For some reason he hadn’t made the connection when he first saw Ayodele in the hospital. But in his defense, he had been lying down then, making it difficult to compare the two.</p><p>“Oh, uh... Hi.”</p><p>Tien cleared his throat, trying to settle into the proper reaction. He ended up smiling a bit and stepping away to give Ayodele room to step inside.</p><p>“Hi, I came to check upon you. Since I heard that you got to come home.”</p><p>Ayodele voice was incredibly calming, Tien simply couldn’t help but feel more relaxed at the sound of it. Who could’ve thought that Ayodele had such a huge effect on him?</p><p>“Yeah, thanks. I didn’t want to disturb you, since you were working...”</p><p>“Ah, thank you”, he sighed softly and slid his coat off.</p><p>Tien felt much better about this whole ordeal now. Ayodele didn’t seem sad or majorly uncomfortable. Maybe a bit awkward but he got a pass on that. Their current situation was rather strange after all. If anything, Ayodele seemed a bit worried, but it was difficult to say as Ayodele wasn’t easy to read.</p><p>Either way Tien let Ayodele settle in while he brewed some coffee for them both. A memory flashed before him as he did so. He saw Ayodele curled up on the couch, a book in hand and a glass of wine on the coffee table next to him. In the memory, Tien kissed Ayodele on the cheek. He knew he said something to Ayodele but couldn’t quite figure out what it was, but nevertheless Ayodele had smiled at him. They were happy in that moment. </p><p>When the coffee was done Tien returned to Ayodele.</p><p>“At least I didn’t forget how to brew coffee...” </p><p>Ayodele simply scoffed softly but his face held slight amusement.</p><p>“Don’t say that just yet, I haven’t gotten a taste yet.”</p><p>Tien sighed softly and took a sip.</p><p>It wasn’t bad. Not as bad as it could’ve been at least.</p><p>“Well... looks like you haven’t forgotten, I’ll give you that”, Ayodele admitted with a soft sigh. He seemed pleased.</p><p>As they drank their coffee something came to Tien’s mind. He was supposed to go on a date with Ayodele the day of the accident. The romantic in Tien felt like he should make up for it in some way or another, especially since he barely even knew Ayodele now. So... wouldn’t a date be the perfect solution? He could make up for the date he missed, and he could get to know Ayodele again.</p><p>“So... What do you remember about me?” Ayodele asked before Tien could ask about the date.</p><p>“Well... I think... you work with something important, and difficult. Stuff I don’t really understand myself. And you’re not... born American. But I might be cheating there, as I hear your accent.” </p><p>Ayodele nodded slowly and approvingly, “Close. I’m a physicist. And yes, I wasn’t born in America... I’m Danish."</p><p>Tien nodded along, happy that he could remember something.<br/>
“Do you... remember my favorite weather?”  </p><p>It seemed like a silly question at first, but it sparked a flash of images to appear in Tien’s mind. Grey skies, quiet patter against the pavement and cool air against his face. </p><p>“Rain... Right?”</p><p>Ayodele nodded softly. Tien couldn’t tell if Ayodele’s response was a positive one or a negative one, so he didn’t know if he should celebrate. He chose not to do anything visibly at least. Better than embarrassing himself in front of Ayodele. </p><p>“I thought as much... I think... I remember spending many rainy evenings with you... and loving every minute of it...”  He looked towards Ayodele, trying to read the man, but nothing came of it. Ayodele was as easy to read as ancient runes written in a long-lost language, as in... really difficult to read. “Uh... will you be spending the night?”</p><p>“No, I don’t have the time,” Ayodele paused for a moment before adding “sorry.”</p><p>“Oh... I understand.”</p><p>Tien couldn’t quite put a finger on what he was feeling. He almost felt hollow, or like deflated balloon. It was like a massive cavern opened up in his gut, swallowing him from the inside out.</p><p>He didn’t know why this feeling was so strong. Had he been expecting something else from it? Was it wrong to do so? It just... felt incredibly stupid.</p><p>“Well... I hope you don’t stress yourself out too much. I’ll be staying here. It’s not like I have anywhere else to be right now.”</p><p>Ayodele nodded softly; his demeanor was suddenly a lot more fidgety and nervous. It was strange. It felt out-of-character to Tien. Ayodele was usually such a cool and confident presence, but now he was not.  </p><p>Tien watched as Ayodele went back to collect his coat. They both stayed quiet until Ayodele spoke up. </p><p>“Don’t get hit by another car while I’m gone. Okay?” The smile that Ayodele flashed was what most people would call a fake one, but Tien felt like Ayodele was doing his best to be earnest. He wasn't the type to know when to smile... If memory were to serve Tien right, that is.  </p><p>“Okay. I’ll try not to.”  </p><p>And with that Ayodele left, and Tien ended up standing in the hallway, staring into space.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi! Sour here, just saying that this fic will take time to get updated as I'm a full-time student :) I hope you understand. I will do my best to not keep people waiting for too long. </p><p>-----</p><p>Also I apologize for any errors, this is my first long work in a LOOOng while, and editing has been difficult.<br/>Thanks for understanding!</p><p>- Sour</p></blockquote></div></div>
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